The Stars Are Black and Cold
by GalaxyHitchhiker
Summary: In a world filled with darkness, people must do what they can to keep sane. Two young women, marked for death, meet in a bar during a storm. femslash, rated R for sexual content.
1. Prologue

AN: I really shouldn't be starting another story now, but I started this one just for myself then kind of liked it. **Very** different from my usual stuff, so be warned. The next chapter will contain strong sexual situations between two female characters, and future chapters will contain violence. Basically, it has earned it's R rating. Not for young readers. Otherwise, enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of JK Rowling, her publishers, and Warner Bros. And the title is a line from a song from _Les Miserables_ I think. The melody is in my head as I write it, but it might not be.

Stars Are Black and Cold

Prologue

Two young woman meet at a bar in a world that is bleak and cold. Just seventeen and eighteen years old, they are the lucky ones: they found each other, and they have stayed alive. Nearly all of those they knew, only a year before, are dead or enemies. In a family of nine, only two now live. Ron was the first, dying to protect the only hope that good held. Harry Potter would be their savior. He would end the darkness. The prophecy told them so. But he was murdered in his sleep under the noses of those who protected him, betrayed by one of their own.

After that, the Order of the Phoenix was destroyed, its members picked off, one by one. Of nearly thirty, five remain, scattered and running. They found others, younger generations who didn't live in the first dark time, or those who didn't think it could ever get this bad. They hold on the hope that darkness must end. The world has faced this before, they think. But in the before, there was always one who could save them. The villain had a weakness, something that could be picked at, a soft underbelly. This villain could not die. None of those who fought in secret had the power to undo him, those powers were dead and gone. They clung to each other in the moments that they could, just delaying the end.

Tonight, they seek out that connection. They need each other with passion and urgency. They need each other to remain sane. Tomorrow they could die. Tonight they live.


	2. Connection

AN: This is chapter contains strong sexual content between female characters. I wrote it for myself one night, then decided to post it. If you've read my other stories, this is nothing like those, so just be warned. Enjoy.

The Stars Are Black and Cold

Chapter 1: Connection

The lights were dim in the Leaky Cauldron. The lights were kept dim everywhere now, but in this place, the darkness was penetrating. Not only that, but the silence of it all. Few spoke loudly now, there just wasn't reason to. She sat on a stool at the bar, staring at her glass. The bartender asked if she wanted another while she waited. It wasn't Tom anymore, she didn't know this man's name. No, she didn't want another drink. She didn't have the money for another, even if she had wanted one.

Ginny entered the pub, her dark cloak pulled close to hide her red hair. She was wanted, but the rain was hard this night, so no one would be out looking. She slipped into the seat next to the other woman, whose hair, now cut short and dyed black, wasn't much of a disguise.

"You're late," Hermione whispered. There words would be few while in the open. She too was hunted, and she wanted to stay alive to fight another day.

"It was raining," the younger woman said. Hermione turned, looked at the red hair that peaked out from under the cloak. _She would still be in school if . . ._ She couldn't let herself complete the thought, if it wasn't all gone.

Ginny left a few gold coins on the counter. The bartender was good, not as good as Tom, but still. It was likely he would be dead within the week. He gave her the key to a room in silence, and she took it, letting Hermione see the number before leaving.

Hermione took the last gulp of her drink and left her last bronze coins on the counter. She would need to find another job soon, but tonight she needed to quench the fire that burned inside.

A few dull embers crackled in room 13, but there would be no maid to tend to them. The light couldn't be to bright, anyway. Ginny's black cloak lay on a chair so her long red hair could fall in her face. Hermione pulled her close, letting their mouths touch, tongues intertwine. Ginny worked to undo the buttons on Hermione's blouse. Hermione pulled away for a moment.

"Come on, love, I need this," Ginny said, her eyes blazing.

"Not so fast, cherie. We have all night." Slowly she undid her own skirt. Ginny smiled and followed suit, pulling off the worn sweater from a Christmas long passed. Her bra came next while Hermione was still caught in stockings and underwear. The sight of the small, pale breasts made her hurry just a little.

The cloths came off and were left on the floor, and the two women tumbled in to the bed, woollen blankets scratching at their bodies. Their bodies pressed against each other, fingers and tongues searched. Their hearts beat in perfect rhythm. The rise and fall of Hermione's chest matched the rocking of Ginny's body and they were in harmony.

The wind howled outside and the fire when out in their room, but they were dead to it. Ginny caught Hermione's dark hair in her hands, pulled her fingers through it. Hermione's own hands ran down Ginny's firm stomach and graceful thighs.

They spent hours in this perfect, passionate embrace, falling asleep against each other and continuing in their dreams. In Diagon Alley, just outside their window, a resistance fighter was captured. They were looking, even in the storm, they were looking. The two women wouldn't be safe here much longer. It would be weeks, maybe even months, before they would be able to do this again. They might need a new place, the newest bartender might ask more questions.

A rumble of thunder in the early morning woke them. They dressed in silence, Ginny careful to pull her red locks back out of sight. "Do you want me to darken them for you?" Hermione asked as she pulled on her boots.

"No. I couldn't stand it like that. Leaving them red is my own little resistance. That one day, the sun will rise, and we won't have to hide anymore. I can keep it covered easily enough, but every Weasley has had red hair. I can't bear to change it."

"Fine. But if anything happens to you, I don't know what I would do." She brushed the hair out of her eyes, then kissed Ginny softly on the cheek. "I'll see you soon, alright."

"Of course," Ginny replied and returned the tender kiss. She held her breath as Hermione Apperated, praying that no one heard the sound. Every means of exit had its risks, but she couldn't leave the way she came. It was only safe for one to do that. Checking her reflection in the mirror, she left the small room and went out into the rain, hoping that Charlie would be their when she returned. If he was, they were safe for another day. If not, the Dark Lord had found them, and all was finished.


	3. The Underground

A/N: OK, so if you'd thought I'd abandoned this, you were wrong. I'm back, at least sporadically. Just don't expect regular updates. I had most of this chapter already written, so it was easy enough to finish. I've added in some HPB stuff, which actually helps the plot. We'll see where it goes. .

Remus Lupin was pulled out of an uneasy sleep by the familiar crack of Apparating. He looked at the clock on the wall. Whomever was here was early. It was probably Hermione. It was always Hermione, though those few moments between the tell-tale crack and the door opening always worried him. No one knew where they were, no one could know, but that was always his fear. So he sat, tense, for a few moments.

The door swung open and Hermione's familiar face, once so full of joy and laughter, appeared. Her short black hair always startled him a little. When Remus had met this girl, she had been only thirteen years old, so full of promise. In the last five years, she had seen so much pain, lost so much that was close too her, but still she lived. Really lived, not just as the shell of a person Remus himself had been when he had been down that road, so long ago.

"Did I wake you?" Hermione asked. "I know I'm early, and it was a full moon night before last. Go back to sleep; the others won't be here in a while."

"No, I'm awake now. You'll want get through more of Dumbledore's journals, won't you?"

"In a minute or two," she replied. She was looking at a wall of framed photographs and walked over to it. Most of these had been pictures she and Ginny had hung, to remind them all of happier times. Most people didn't like to look at them. Charlie in particular wouldn't look directly at the pictures of his parents and brothers. But they brought Hermione some comfort.

Her favorite was one of the newest, taken in the summer before their sixth year. It was of the five of them, Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and herself. They were so full of laughter, youth. Harry and Neville had just turned sixteen. It was still difficult for Hermione to accept that less than a year after that picture was taken, Neville was missing, Ron had died in battle, and Harry had been murdered in his sleep, right under the noses of the Order. It had been one of their own, under the Imperious Curse. He slit Harry's throat in the dead of night. He didn't even have the chance to scream.

Remus had come up behind her, put a hand on her shoulder. He too looked at a picture on that wall, the photo of James and Lily Potter's wedding. He never looked at it for long because it hurt, but it was a good reminder for them. There had been joy in the world, not so very long ago. The sun had been bright and the stars had illuminated the night. It was a good thing to remember.

There was another crack from outside. The meeting would start soon, so Hermione settled in one of the chairs and opened Dumbledore's diary. She wished she could take it with her, but it was agreed that it wasn't safe. It wasn't a magical diary like Riddle's, and it didn't work like a Penseive did, but it was more useful than anyone knew. Hermione had found it while going through stacks of books they were holding for safekeeping. Dumbledore had started keeping it when he graduated school, writing, "I'll never know who might want to peruse my thoughts in the future. May they be of use to someone, because they seem to be of little use to me." The writing was often in the beginning, but became more and more organized as decades passed. Hermione had nearly reached the ere that would be of use to them- she was only a year away from the point where the prophecy was spoken. She had to get there, but refused to simply skip ahead.

Charlie was the next person to arrive, which made Hermione look up briefly, only the faintest glimmer of concern in her expression. Charlie noticed, and said, "Ginny's coming. She needed to do something and told me to go on ahead." Hermione nodded and got back to the diary.

Ginny did arrive, and so did the others, the fragments of the Order that had once been a powerful force. Most of them were really too young, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen, some younger: the few among the oldest Hogwarts students to survive. In total, there were maybe twelve of them, twelve people left fighting the Dark Lord and his allies. It wasn't that there were only twelve left on the side of good; no, most would fight if they thought they could. They were simply too scared. They were left alone if they went along with the way things were, didn't make waves. Sometimes, the members of the Order didn't blame them, but they couldn't go back now.

Remus lead the meetings. He had been in the original Order, had been teaching at Hogwarts when Voldemort finally attacked. Charlie Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, and Mundugus Fletcher were the only ones left. Ginny and Hermione, along with Dean Thomas, Dennis Creevey, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, and Justin Flinch-Fletchly had been in Dumbledore's Army. Orla Quirke, only fourteen, hadn't been in the DA, had been too young to go to the first meeting in the Hog's Head, but when the school had been destroyed, she sought them out after her family was killed, and was a great help to them because she wasn't likely to raise much suspicion.

Remus looked around the room after Tonks had arrived, counting in his head. "Someone isn't here," he said, concern growing on his face. "Dean Thomas isn't here. Has anyone heard from him?" Everyone shook their heads. Hermione looked up from the diary, looking to see if anyone had news. No one responded, so she turned back to the diary.

"I'll try to contact him tonight," Justin said.

"Good," said Remus. "Tonks, have any names been added to the list?"

"Yes, just before I left. That's why I was late. I have the address, right in London. I hope we aren't too late, it's close to the Ministry building. I might need help, but I can get him and his family somewhere safe tonight and then on a plane tomorrow morning, if someone can make the arrangements."

"I can get plane tickets to Boston, so they can get to Salem," said Susan Bones. "I know who to go through. How many?"

"I think four," said Tonks. "I'll get you the information tonight."

"If we can get Muggle-born kids out of the country so easily, why can't we just get out ourselves?" Mudugus asked. "The Lovegoods did, and so did Draco Malfoy. It would be easy."

"But would it be right?" Ginny asked. "We can't just leave because its hard. We have to put up a fight. Too many people have sacrificed too much for us to give up now. There has to be a way to end this, and I won't leave until we find it."

Remus watched her get angry, as she did every time Dung asked to leave. "That doesn't mean you can't leave. You can get out secretly enough. Your right, many did it. The Lovegoods have proved a valuable ally in the United States. Draco Malfoy left for his own reasons, and we didn't try to stop him. But I won't go, even if everyone leaves. Ginny is right, too many have died for us to give up now."

Mudugus didn't say anything. They went through this every time they met, at it was always the same. He would always ask, but he would never leave. He would always help Tonks get Muggle-borns who popped up on the old Hogwarts list out of Britain. Voldemort had his own list, not quite as fast as the one that was in now in Tonks' possession, but still, sometimes he got there first.

The meeting was short; the Order didn't like to stay together for too long, in case they were found. People said goodbyes carefully, knowing in the back of their mind, one of them might not return. Ginny hugged her brother; Remus kissed Tonks softly before she left. Hermione stayed in her chair, carefully reading every word of Dumbledore's last journal. Ginny hadn't left yet, so Remus left the room quietly.

Ginny, cat-like, came up behind Hermione, began playing with her hair. "Can't you let it turn back to brown, to grow out, just for a little while," she whispered. "I miss having something to catch my fingers in."

"You know it's too dangerous. And you're hair is more recognizable then mine. You should change it too." Ginny's hands found their way to Hermione's shoulders, then began to work down her back under her robe. Hermione smiled, but pulled away. "Not now, love. I have to finish this, only a few days away from the night at the Hog's Head."

"Can't you take a little break? I have to get home, and I want to check on the plans."

"I want to finish this." She smiled, and her voice got quieter. "Besides, Remus is in the next room."

"Fine. When will I see you again?"

"I'll get in touch with you. Maybe not until the next meeting. Hopefully sooner." Ginny kissed Hermione softly, and disappeared with a crack. Hermione returned to her book.

Remus walked in, a few moments later. "Getting anywhere?" he asked.

"Not yet. I mean, its fascinating to read about all Dumbledore's plans for protecting the school and thwarting attacks, but we don't have the resources to implement them. I want to read the words of the prophecy, see if there's something we may have missed."

Remus sat in the chair opposite Hermione. "What if the prophecy doesn't mean anything anymore? A lot of times they only happen when their subjects find out about them. Harry didn't die at Voldemort's hands though. That should mean we can kill Voldemort."

Hermione shook her head. "I need to find the last Horcrux, though. Only Harry figured out how to destroy it. Dumbledore knew, too, but I don't know when he found out. I want to get through this first."

"Alright. Stay as long as you want. I think there might be something to eat in the kitchen, though it isn't much." He yawned, and smiled. "I need to get some sleep. There's work to do tomorrow."

"Thanks, Remus. I'll put the books back when I finish."

She turned the page, reading more and more of what had happened in the first age of Voldemort. It was so much different then. It may have been bad, but the people still had hope. They still had leaders they could cling to, the Order had some power. There was still Hogwarts, safe haven. Now, what was there?

Red hair and blue eyes found their way into her mind. That's what there was, she thought. She smiled. Dumbledore knew what he was talking about when he put his faith in love. It may not be enough to save us all, she thought, but it's enough to keep us sane while we're here. She closed the book. That was enough for tonight. She might come back in the morning, if it was safe. Maybe get Ginny to come with her.


	4. Caught

A/N: Again, not making any promises on consistency of updates. I like this fic and want to continue, but I don't know how much time I have. Oh, and Courtney- it'll get worse before it gets better.

It had been four weeks since they had seen each other. Four weeks since a carefully planned meeting on a street corner, only a moment long. Hermione pressed a small package into Ginny's hands; the brushing of their fingers was the only contact they would have for those weeks. They had written, back and forth, through a pair of diaries Hermione had bewitched. That was the package. They could not see each other, but at least they knew they both lived.

Ginny had been working more deeply underground. She tracked down colleagues of her father, friends of her mother. Most were unwilling to fight. Some had even turned to the other side, finding something in the Death Eaters they had been unable to find in the side of good. These people were dangerous. They knew Ginny, knew she was working against Voldemort. They didn't know where she was or where she went when she apparated, but she could easily be followed, spotted in a crowd. She tried to disguise her appearance, but the color of her hair would always shine through eventually. She couldn't change her appearance completely like Tonks. So she kept out of places she would be recognized, stayed hidden.

Hermione had been spending more and more time at Lupin's, reading Dumbledore's diary. She read and reread the prophecy, trying desperately to find loopholes. She gasped when she read Neville Longbottom also fit the requirements of time of birth and parentage, but was disheartened to find he didn't seem to fulfill the prophecy. Anyway, he was nowhere to be found, probably dead or worse.

She found herself distracted more easily, the longer she spent time away from Ginny. She read her messages over and over again, and sent her own little notes as many times as she could. _I need to see you again,_ she wrote. _But how? My house is being watched, and we can't go back to the Leaky Cauldron. It isn't safe._

_ I don't care,_ came Ginny's reply one day. _I need you, I can't stand it anymore. I ache because I can't touch you. We have to meet somewhere, just for a night. _

It was dangerous, recklessly dangerous. Hermione was often followed, and Ginny was sought after outright. If they were seen together, if they were caught, it would be two Order members. They both new so much, were involved in so much. But passion blinded them. They needed each other, needed some contact if they were to go on this way.

It was all arranged. They would go separately to the _Leaky Cauldron. _ They would sit apart, order drinks at different times. Ginny would request room 13, go up. Hermione would follow after 15 minutes. They would leave an hour apart. No one would know they had been together. No one would associate them, be able to catch them both. It was dangerous, but they believed it to be safe.

The night they chose to meet was cold, raining. Thunder was beginning to rumble in the distance, and the wind blew fiercely. The heat from their bodies would keep them warm.

Hermione sat at the bar, Ginny at a booth in the corner. Her hood was low, covering her head to her eyes. She sat with a drink, did not appear to see Hermione. Then she downed the glass, and left the table. Hermione finished her own drink slowly, then turned up the stairs to the rooms. The thunder was growing louder.

Ginny was already waiting, lying on the bed, her beautiful body exposed and alluring in the candlelight. Her hair, like fire, fanned out across the pillow and the tops of her exquisite breasts, large and white. Her thighs were parted, one hand resting softly on her stomach, the other beckoning. Hermione smiled. How lucky was she to have this beautiful girl love her. She untied her cloak, letting it drop to the floor. She slid off her shoes, fought with the clasps of her robes, finally throwing them in the corner in exasperation. "Hurry up," Ginny whispered, smiling. Hermione unclasped her bra, let her underwear fall. She kicked them away, maybe under the bed. She didn't care. She walked over to the bed, crawled over to Ginny. There was no need for foreplay, no need for any prelude to the raw passion they had been craving.

Her hands gently slid themselves up Ginny's thighs; her tongue traced a line up her stomach. She kissed each breast softly, her body entwined with Ginny's. Their mouths locked as their bodies began to rock up and down, following the rhythms of their matching heartbeats. Ginny's hands, tongue found all the spots that made Hermione gasp. Their moans were soft, but all other sound was drowned out by the thunder and by their love. They knew no other world but this room, this bed, and each other.

They continued like this for countless breaths and heartbeats, rocking and kissing, hands searching for new places that would bring about gasps and moans. They never wanted to separate, were linked to each other, synchronized to each other. Hermione on top, her pelvis thrusting down, Ginny underneath, her hands supporting, caressing. It was violent and tender, this night together between countless apart.

And yet suddenly, they were separate, Hermione ripped away, thrown against the wall. Her instinct was to reach out for her wand, but she was quickly Stunned, frozen in the corner. Two men stood in the doorway. One held his wand on Hermione, the other was conjuring ropes around Ginny, also frozen. Hermione tried to scream; she had no voice. One of the men picked up Ginny roughly, through her over his shoulder. The ropes were too tight; Hermione could see red marks were they already cut into her perfectly white skin. "Just think," one of the men said to the other, "one of the most prized members of the Order caught in the act with some whore."

_They don't recognize me_, Hermione thought. She kept her head bowed so her hair would cover her face. She still could not move, scream, get at her wand. The other man came toward her. He parted her legs roughly, his hands cold. "Can I have a poke?" he asked the other.

"We don't have time. The Dark Lord wants to question the Weasley girl tonight. But I'll bet he'll let us have her before he kills her." The man at the door turned and left. The other man pushed Hermione roughly, kicked her, but then turned and left. The Stunning spell soon wore off, but the men, the Death Eaters, were gone. Hermione walked about in a daze. She couldn't find her robes, only her underwear and cloak. She couldn't think to even clasp her bra, just pulled the cloak tightly around her and grabbed her wand. The rain was pounding harder than ever. She hoped she would be able to concentrate enough to Apparate, but saw no other way to get to the Order.

She wasn't too far off; she had landed in the forest which surrounded Remus's house, but she was at least fifteen minutes away. The rain was pounding, coming in through the trees, and she was freezing. In her haste, she had forgotten shoes, but she ignored the pain. An eternity later, she reached the cabin door, began pounding and shouting for Remus to wake up. Tears were beginning to fill her eyes. He opened the door. "Ginny . . . taken," she whispered, before collapsing into his arms.

She awoke, wrapped in a warm, thick blanket, sitting on Remus's couch. Tonks and Charlie Weasley sat across from her. Charlie looked terrified. "What happened?" he asked, his voice low. "What happened to Ginny?"

Hermione looked away. "They took her. The Death Eaters. They surprised us- we didn't here them coming. They Stunned me before I could get my wand, and they took her. I don't know where. I'm sorry . . ." She trailed off. She felt so stupid. They never should have met that night. It was too dangerous, they had known that. If Hermione hadn't agreed to it, Ginny would still be here.

Perhaps Charlie could sense what she was feeling, because he said, "Hey, it's isn't your fault. You have nothing to be sorry about. Now we just have to find her."

"Charlie is right," Remus said, coming in with a cup of tea. He handed it to Hermione, who accepted it graciously. "This is no one's fault, except for the Death Eaters who took her. We have to figure out where she was taken. Once we do that, we can take her back. This may just be what we need to get our act together. We've been doing everything we can to prevent Voldemort's power from growing, but we've only skimmed the surface of what we can do. We're at war, but we aren't fighting. If ever there was a right time, this is it."

Tonks looked up at him. "Those are fine words, Remus," she said, "but do we even know where to start?"

"We can start here," he said, opening a cabinet. Inside, Dumbledore's Pensieve glowing softly. "I've been looking through it, and I think I found a last message he left. I think I know where Voldemort will be."

More to come, I promise. Please review.


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